As we’ve discussed at length at OnAllBands, effective soldering can be tricky, especially if you don’t have the right tools. DX Engineering understands the importance of equipping your shack with proven equipment that makes even the most delicate jobs a lot easier.

That’s why you can find a range of reliable soldering tools and accessories from leading brands (Eclipse, ECG, Kester, Milwaukee Tool, American Beauty) at the tools & supplies section of DXEngineering.com. Choose from high-quality solder wire, flux, rechargeable and wireless soldering irons, temperature-controlled soldering stations, desoldering stations and pumps, soldering tools for printed circuit boards, soldering tip cleaners, magnified alligator-clip work holders, and more.

If you’re a novice when it comes to using a soldering pen or need to brush up on your technique, read this article from Mark, K8MSH, “Ham Radio 101: Soldering Tips.” It’s also a good reminder to treat these tools with a great deal of respect by taking all necessary safety precautions to avoid injury when soldering.

Finished the article? Great! Now check out the latest Eclipse Tools soldering products available at DXEngineering.com:

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Economy Dual Temperature Soldering Station

This unit features a selectable 20- or 40-watt temperature setting, making it easier to switch from general electronic soldering and repair to cable terminations or hobby and craft projects. The station is ideal for both professional and do-it-yourself projects and comes equipped with a pencil tip-style soldering iron, built-in stand, and tip cleaning sponge. Find many more soldering guns and irons at DXEngineering.com.

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Helping Hands Work Holder

This heavily weighted mini work stand features a universal joint for positioning your work, along with an arm and two strong alligator clamps to hold parts in place or wires for soldering. For tiny projects, the work stand includes a magnifier that will make minuscule parts look big. A great choice for amateur radio repair, RC hobbies, model railroading, crafting projects, and many other purposes.

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SI-BI62 Battery-Operated Soldering Iron

Featuring a compact, cordless design for optimum portability, the seven-inch-long SI-BI62 boasts a rapid heat-up time of only 15-20 seconds, ensuring that it’s ready to use at a moment’s notice. The safety cap automatically powers down the device when it’s attached. Power consumption is only 8W, with a maximum temperature of up to 842° F. It maintains a soldering temperature of at least 600° F. Requires three 1.5V alkaline AA batteries (not included).

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SI-186A Digitally Controlled Soldering Iron

Designed for precision soldering tasks, the SI-186A features digital temperature control for accurate heat management. It’s equipped with a ceramic heater that ensures rapid heating and recovery, boasting a power consumption of only 60W and temperatures ranging between 392° to 932° F. Other features include temperature correction and a smart memory that automatically remembers the last used temperature. The SI-186A comes with a replaceable long-life tip, soft grip handle, and LED display.

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Soldering Iron Tip Cleaner

This coiled-wire type cleaner doesn’t burn and won’t allow solder to stick. Since the soldering iron tip cleaner is used dry, it won’t cool your iron when you clean the tip. All it takes to provide a clean tip for smoother solder flow is a quick wipe of your iron through the steel-wool style cleaning ball.

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SS-969E SMD Hot Air Rework Station

This versatile station is useful for rework and soldering operations on a broad range of components, as well as for heat shrinking, drying, paint removal, pre-heating, glue soldering, and more. The SS-969E offers adjustable settings for airflow, air volume, and temperature, providing users with a high degree of control. At 700W, it delivers a wide temperature range of 212° to 842° F and features an auto cool-off process to extend the life of the heating element. Safely solder QFP, PLCC, BGA, and other temperature-sensitive components with ease.

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Fine-Tipped Flux Bottles

Sold in packs of two, Eclipse Tools fine-tipped flux bottles evenly dispense flux. A gentle squeeze of the bottle allows the fine-tipped needle to deposit flux exactly where you need it for a precision application.

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Desktop Inspection Lamp

This 700 lumen, LED magnifier table lamp features 2.25X(5D) magnification, a scratch-resistant glass lens, low-temperature LEDs, standard desktop clamp mount that fits surfaces up to 2.56 inches thick, and adjustable arm for easy positioning. Find other Eclipse Tools desk inspection lamps at DXEngineering.com.

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Visit DXEngineering.com for the complete lineup of soldering products from Eclipse Tools plus a great selection of useful shack additions: heat shrink tubing, multimeters, volt testers, heat guns, wrap ties, and more.

The post New Product Spotlight: Soldering Tools and Accessories from Eclipse Tools appeared first on OnAllBands.

Okay, so Field Day is over. Hamvention 2024 is in the books. Contest Season is months away. The rare Glorioso Islands DXpedition is done. What’s a ham to do? The short answer is plenty! The long answer is, “If you can’t find a reason to get on the air, you’re not trying!”

Contesting doesn’t cool off during July, especially if you’re into operating in the great outdoors or prefer the challenge of chasing portable stations from the comforts of your air-conditioned shack (hey, you already toughed it out on Field Day, so you deserve a break). July offers one of the premier portable operating activities—the RSGB IOTA Contest: July 27, 1200Z to July 28, 1200Z.

Whether you’re a chaser or activator, the Radio Society of Great Britain’s Islands on the Air Contest is a welcome chance to celebrate the world’s well-known and lesser-traveled island groups (more than 1,200 of them) dotting the planet. The contest is based on the RSGB IOTA awards program, established in 1964 to promote amateur radio and draw attention to the “widespread mystique surrounding islands.”

If you’re new to the RSGB IOTA Contest, which has been around since 1993, click here to read a guide for novices who wish to operate from an official IOTA spot or those who seek to make contact with IOTA stations. Bands for the 24-hour contest are 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M on CW and phone. Also for new island operators, check out this article by blogger Sean Kutzko, KX9X, “Your First Pileup, Techniques for Success.”

US Islands Award

Summer is an excellent time to hold a mini-DXpedition by activating one of America’s multitude of islands that are part of the US Islands (USI) Awards Program. Celebrating its 30^th year, the program has given hams across the country the chance to activate and chase a range of river, lake, and ocean shore islands, from the ones everyone knows (Manhattan, Maui, Key West) to spots perhaps only familiar to the peripatetic amateur operator (Tonganoxie, Shuler Bend, Little Scovell).

Here’s the coolest part. Participation doesn’t require a cost-prohibitive trip to Alaska’s Kiska Island. We’ll wager that there’s an island only a few hours away begging to be put on the air. Case in point, here are a few awards-qualified islands (followed by their program number) that are not far from DX Engineering headquarters in landlocked Tallmadge, Ohio:

• South Bass (OH007L)
• North Bass (OH006L)
• Kelley’s Island (OH001L)
• Turtle Island (OH038L)

The program lets DXers vie for honors such as the USI Basic Honor Roll (QSOs with 100 qualified islands); Work All State Islands Award; and Work Ten Award (10 islands from one state). Find the complete list of more than 3,400 U.S. Islands here along with participation rules.

And be sure to check out DXEngineering.com, where you’ll find everything you need to activate an IOTA, POTA, or SOTA site, or increase your chances of reaching the many islands, summits, beaches, and lighthouses of the world. Not sure where to start? For activators, we recommend a complete DX Engineering POTA package that includes an Icom or Yaesu transceiver; Bioenno Power lithium-ion battery and solar panel; coaxial cable assemblies; antenna tuner; and more. Choose from four packages:

• DXE-POTA-1 with Yaesu FT-891 Transceiver (below)
• DXE-POTA-2 with Icom IC-705 Transceiver
• DXE-POTA-3 with Icom IC-7300 Transceiver
• DXE-POTA-4 with Yaesu FT-710-FIELD Transceiver

Also check out popular antennas for portable activations, including the Chelegance JPC-12 40-6M Vertical Antenna (below) featured in the DXE-POTA-1 kit and the DX Commander Expedition Portable 40-6M Vertical Antenna.

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Beyond islands, there’s loads to do in July. We’ve showcased a few activities below. Good luck!

13 Colonies Special Event: July 1 to July 7. Already underway as of this post, this popular annual event challenges operators to make contact with stations set up in the original 13 U.S. colonies, plus three bonus stations.

Venezuelan Independence Day Contest: July 6, 0000Z to 2359Z. This annual CW/SSB/FT4 contest hosted by the Radio Club Venezolano celebrates Venezuela Independence Day (July 5), which commemorates its history of becoming South America’s first independent country in 1821.

NZART Memorial Contest: July 6, 0800Z to 1100Z and July 7, 0800Z to 1100Z. The nonprofit New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters has been proudly serving Kiwi amateur radio operators in The Land of the Long White Cloud since 1926. A founding member of Region 3 of the IARU, NZART sponsors a number of contests and activities throughout the year, including this 80M-only CW/SSB event.

IARU HF World Championship: July 13, 1200Z to July 14, 1200Z. Open to all licensed amateurs, the International Amateur Radio Union’s HF World Championship encourages operators to make as many contacts as possible, especially with IARU member society HQ stations, on 160/80/40/20/15/10M.

QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint: July 14, 2000Z to 2300Z. This HF CW-only event sponsored by the QRP Amateur Radio Club International rewards stations with multipliers based on how little power you use, from 5W down to 55mW or less. Add big bonus points if operating a homebrew transmitter, receiver, or transceiver. “Homebrew” is defined as equipment that you build, kits included.

CQ Worldwide VHF Contest: July 20, 1800Z to July 21, 2100Z. Fans of 6M and 2M operating have this annual summer event marked on their calendars long in advance, anticipating the improved propagation and challenge of working the world while collecting VHF Maidenhead grid locations for award credits. The contest features single operator, hilltopper, rover, and multi-op categories. Get all the details here.

IARU Region 1 70 MHz CW/SSB Contest: July 20, 1400Z to July 21, 1400Z. Find all the rules here. From IARU Region 1, “The main objectives are to make as many contacts as possible and to have fun. Other objectives may include improving your operating skills, testing new equipment configurations and techniques, expanding your horizons by operating on the microwave bands, and exploring radio propagation.” IARU Region 1 covers Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and northern Asia.

Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum (ARCNEM) Commemoration of the First Live TV Broadcast from the Moon: July 19, 1300Z to July 21, 2200Z. The ARCNEM (K3NEM) will be operating W3A in recognition of the live TV broadcast that allowed the world to see mankind’s first steps on the lunar surface. Operation is scheduled for 80M and possibly digital modes.

Thinking of a cool trip this summer? Exhibits at the National Electronics Museum in Hunt Valley, Maryland, include one of the remaining Westinghouse lunar TV cameras, the development of the Morse telegraph and Bell telephone, Marconi’s wireless experiments, reproduction of an early amateur radio spark gap shack, and an operational amateur radio station.

YOTA Contest: July 20, 1000Z to 2159Z. This is the second of three rounds of the annual Youngsters on the Air Contest. Per the YOTA website, the contest is designed to increase youth activity on the air, strengthen the reputation of the YOTA program, and demonstrate support for youngsters around the world.

Maidenhead Mayhem Contest: July 20, 0000Z to July 28, 2359Z. From the Maidenhead Mayhem contest website (cue Twilight Zone theme music), “Imagine if you will, a contest that is truly different from most likely any other you have ever experienced. A contest that has indeed been over 40 years in the making.” Intrigued? We sure were at OnAllBands! Per the rules page, the objective is for amateurs around the world to contact as many other amateurs in as many Maidenhead grid fields as possible on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 1o meters using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT4, and FT8. Unlike many contests, spotting is not only encouraged but amply rewarded. Find many more rules and explanations here.

North American QSO Party, RTTY: July 20, 1800Z to July 21, 0559Z. Here’s a great opportunity for both RTTY aficionados and novices. Designed for contesting beginners and veterans, North American QSO Parties are low-power-only (no amplifiers allowed) contests that are fun and challenging.

Want to learn more about RTTY? Check out these OnAllBands articles from Ed Muns, W0YK:

• Getting Started in RTTY
• The Origins and Evolution of RTTY

Alabama QSO Party: July 27, 1500Z to July 28, 0300Z.

MARAC U.S. Counties QSO Party: July 27, 0000Z to July 28, 2400Z. The Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club (MARAC) is sponsoring the 53^rd edition of this contest for county-hunting hams. The contest’s objective is to “establish radio contact with as many U.S. counties as possible in all 50 U.S. states with the emphasis on maximum scoring of mobile entries. Contacts are good toward the various MARAC awards including the initial Worked All Counties Award.”

Contacts can be made by phone, CW, and select digital modes that allow full two-way exchanges between both stations, such as FT4 with proper setup, per the rules. FT8 is not allowed since a grid square cannot define the county of operation. Find complete rules at the link above. Established in 1970, MARAC is a support group for county hunting and mobile activities with members all over the world.

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Want to take your mobile activity to the next level? You’ll find everything you need at DXEngineering.com, including the latest amateur radio mobile transceivers from Alinco, Icom, Yaesu, and AnyTone, as well as mobile antennas.

The post Guide to July 2024 Ham Radio Contests: Islands Edition appeared first on OnAllBands.

With permission from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the 10-operator CY9C DXpedition team is scheduled to put St. Paul on the air August 26 to September 5 from the windswept and treeless Northeast Island site, just off the coast of Nova Scotia.

The team of experienced hams, many of whom participated in the highly successful CY0S Sable Island DXpedition in March 2023, plan to be active on 160-6M, employing Yagis on 20-6M and elevated sloping dipoles and verticals on the low bands. There should be a good mix of modes available for filling bands (CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, EME, Satellites), with an emphasis on Morse code contacts. Uninhabited and rarely visited St. Paul Island is approximately three miles long and a mile wide.

The island features an automated solar-powered lighthouse built in 1962—the third lighthouse which has served watercrafts between the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Cabot Strait. Lighthouse chasers will be hoping to add this to their conquests (STP-002), as well as POTA (CA-0122) and IOTA (NA-094) enthusiasts.

The island is encircled by foreboding rock-faced cliffs, which will require the CY9C team to use two helicopters to transport gear and team members to the operating site.

Find updated information at CY9C’s official website. St. Paul Island ranked as the 52^nd Most Wanted DXCC Entity as of May, per Clublog.

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DX Engineering was a proud sponsor of the CY9C 2016 St. Paul DXpedition. The company provided a range of gear used on the island, including the Butternut HF9V 9-Band Vertical Antenna.

Two operators from that DXpedition, Jay, K4ZLE, and Murray, WA4DAN, are also scheduled to operate in this latest venture. For CY9C 2024, DX Engineering has provided the following equipment for a Beverage antenna system:

DX Engineering Beverage Antenna System: This single-wire, single-direction beverage feed system (100 kHz to 30 MHz) designed by W8JI is immune to the strong signal overload and core saturation common in multi-transmitter environments, making it ideal for low-band DXers. It employs an isolated-winding matching-transformer system to significantly increase the signal-to-noise ratio in Beverage and other high-impedance antennas.

DX Engineering RPA-2 Modular Receive Preamplifier: This preamp delivers low internal noise and is optimized for the 300 kHz to 35 MHz range. The device is designed to help you hear the weakest signals without artificially raising the noise. Robust components allow this preamplifier to withstand high signal levels while providing superior dynamic range and third-order intercept performance that equals or exceeds most receiver and transceiver front-ends.

DX Engineering Beverage Termination Resistors

Check in with OnAllBands for more articles on the CY9C 2024 St. Paul Island DXpedition as the date nears.

The post DX Engineering Lends Support to Upcoming DXpedition to St. Paul Island appeared first on OnAllBands.

While you’re gathering the gear you’ll need for a successful ARRL Field Day 2024 (June 22 – 23), be sure to take some time to keep your skills sharp by participating in an array of contests and operating events in June, plus a unique star-spangled opportunity in early July.

13 Colonies

For many operators in the U.S., setting up portable stations on Field Day is quickly followed by participation in the 13 Colonies Special Event (July 1 – 7, 2024), which has grown to become one of the most anticipated weeks on the amateur radio calendar. In addition to breaking through large pileups to reach stations in the original 13 colonies up the East Coast from Georgia to Massachusetts, operators will have the challenge of making QSOs with three bonus stations for a clean sweep: GB13COL (Great Britain), TM13COL (France), and WM3PEN (Philadelphia). Modes of operation (SSB, CW, RTTY, Digital, et. al.) are up to each colony/state and bonus station.

There’s still time to give yourself an edge in pursuit of that clean sweep by visiting DXEngineering.com, where you’ll find shack upgrades including transceivers, HF amplifiers, antennas, antenna tuners, CW keys and paddles, high-quality coaxial cable, and more.

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Here are a few other contests and special events to mark on your calendar, including a few chances to enjoy 6 Meter Season:

• 80^th Anniversary Commemoration of D-Day: June 6, 1500Z to 2000Z. This special event is being sponsored by the South East Metro Amateur Radio Club in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. 

• Portugal Day Contest: June 8, 1200Z to June 9, 1200Z. This SSB/CW 80-10M event, sponsored by the Redo dos Emissores Portuguesses, is held annually in honor of Portugal Day. Portugal Day commemorates the life of poet and national literary hero Lus de Cames, who died June 10, 1580. He is most remembered for his epic poem about Portuguese history and achievements, Os Lusiadas. This National Day of Portugal is celebrated in communities around the globe, including several U.S. cities. The contest is open to hams worldwide. Check out the rules here.

• ARRL June VHF Contest: June 8, 1800Z to June 10, 0259Z. For amateurs in the U.S. and Canada to work as many amateur stations in as many different 2 degree x 1 degree Maidenhead grid squares as possible using authorized frequencies above 50 MHz. All legal modes are permitted.

• VK Shires Contest: June 8, 0000Z to 2359Z. Per the contest website, the objective of this CW/SSB contest, sponsored by the Wireless Institute of Australia, is for amateurs around the world to contact as many “VK shires as possible in the contest period. VK amateurs are to work the world including VK, whilst the rest of the world can only work VK.”

• LZ International 6 Meter Contest: June 15, 1400Z to June 16, 1400Z. This CW/SSB 50 MHz contest is organized by the Radio Club Lovech and the Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs.

• Audie Murphy’s 99^th Birthday Celebration: June 15- 23, 0000Z-2359Z. The Sabine Valley Amateur Radio Association, K5GVL, of Greenville, Texas, is sponsoring this special event honoring the life of Audie Murphy (June 20, 1925-May 28, 1971), Hunt County Texas’ war hero and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Stations will be operating CW, FT8, and SSB from locations around the county and from the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum grounds.

• West Virginia QSO Party: June 15, 1600Z to June 16, 0400Z.

• SMIRK Contest: June 15, 0000Z to June 16, 2359Z. Hams from around the world will be gathering on the air for SMIRK’s (Six Meter International Radio Klub) annual tribute to the “Magic Band.” From the group’s website: “It’s loads of fun. You can meet SMIRK members or become a SMIRK member during this contest. Just call ‘CQ SMIRK’ and you are sure to get some answers.”
  
  Need to prepare for the SMIRK Contest? Read this OnAllBands blog post, “The Hows and Whys of Operating on Two Meters or Six During the Summer Months” by Sean Kutzko, KX9X. Plus, you’ll find loads of station upgrades for 6M operation at DXEngineering.com, including the Butternut Antenna add-on kit, HF+6M linear amplifiers, antennas, and transceivers.

• ARRL Kids Day: June 15, 1800Z to 2359Z. Here’s a great chance to introduce a son, daughter, or grandchild to the thrill of ham radio. Why not let the young people in your life experience the same excitement you felt when making your first QSOs? ARRL Kids Day is also an important time to remind ourselves that the future of ham radio rests in getting youth pumped up about the fun and practical aspects of this great hobby.

Kids Day Project Idea

Looking for a sure-fire activity for ARRL Kids Day? DX Engineering’s Single-Band Low-Power Dipole Kit (below) gives you the essentials to build a dipole antenna: a center insulator, two end insulators, and a right angle BNC connector. The center insulator and end insulators are essentially printed circuit boards. Once assembled, the center insulator doubles as a wire winder. The end insulators also function as rulers, aiding in antenna tuning. You provide the coaxial cable, light support rope, and 14- to 26-gauge wire cut to the length of your desired frequency. Solder the six soldering points and you’re ready to fine-tune your antenna and get on the air. Available as a single kit or in packs of 10 and 25.

• All Asian DX Contest, CW: June 15, 0000Z to June 16, 2400Z. Sponsored by the Japan Amateur Radio League, this annual event is for both Asian and non-Asian stations making CW QSOs on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.

• Stew Perry Topband Challenge: June 15, 1500Z to June 16, 1500Z. Hams can enter this annual 160 meter, CW-only contest as single operator or multi-operator; high, low, or QRP power. High power is 1,500 watts output or whatever you can legally run in your country, whichever is less. Low power is 100 watts or less output. QRP is 5 watts or less, per the Stew Perry website. The challenge uniquely awards QSO point values based on distance between stations. Click here for complete rules.
  
  Be sure to visit DXEngineering.com to enhance your 160M capabilities with the VA6AM 160M band pass filter, phased array quarter wave tuned cables, 160M add-on kit for Butternut vertical antennas, and DX Engineering’s 55-foot 160M THUNDERBOLT Vertical Antenna (below).

The post A Guide to June 2024 Ham Radio Contests appeared first on OnAllBands.

The 2024 DX Engineering Amateur Radio Products Catalog—packed with 132 pages of the latest equipment and tried-and-true gear from more than 175 manufacturers—is now available! Time to discard your 2023 dog-eared copy and bask in the glory of a sharp-edged new catalog, perfect for reading just about anywhere—on vacation, in the shack, or in the comfort of your favorite chair. If you haven’t received yours yet, visit DXEngineering.com and request a copy, or view the digital version online.

New Products from Leading Manufacturers

This year’s catalog is loaded with new offerings from top brands, including RigExpert, Alinco, Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Chameleon, Consolidated Wire, VA6AM, VE2DX, Carlson Communications, 4O3A, Par EndFedz, FlexRadio Genius Solutions, DIEX Antennas, Bioenno Power, Ham Radio Deluxe software, and many others. Just look for the NEW! icon in each section of the catalog.

Exclusive Brands

Also look for gear sold exclusively in North America through DX Engineering: OM Power amplifiers, DX Commander antennas, Ciro Mazzoni automatic magnetic loop antennas, Phonema speakers and acoustic modification kits, ACOM amplifiers, Kelemen antennas, HA8DU tuners, microHAM rotator controllers, diverse products from WiMo, AlexLoop portable loop antenna systems, OptiBeam Yagis, and many others.

DX Engineering Gear

You’ll also find new products from DX Engineering, such as RG-8X coaxial cable with orange PVC jacket, along with the latest from our family of brands, including the newly designed 160M add-on kit for Butternut vertical antennas (below).

A Positive Message for the Future

Besides the fun you’ll have planning station upgrades, the 2024 edition of the catalog comes with a vital message from DX Engineering CEO Tim Duffy, K3LR: Now is an important time to give back to the hobby that has given us so much throughout our lives. The cover features photos of some of the ways DX Engineering gives back, including DXpeditions (e.g., TX5S Clipperton Island, H40WA Temotu Province, 8R7X Guyana) and youth contesting opportunities that were supported by DX Engineering.

In honor of the catalog’s release, OnAllBands would like to recognize the active operators at DX Engineering and the many hams worldwide who go out of their way to put the concept of “giving back” into practice.

To encourage others to follow suit, we present “10 Ways You Can Give Back to Amateur Radio”:

1. Become a Volunteer Examiner. Imagine the satisfaction of playing a key role in helping others join the noble ranks of ham radio operators.
2. Get involved in EMCOMM. Being part of an EMCOMM organization (RACES, ARES, storm spotting) and serving the communication needs of your community during a disaster is one of the most fulfilling ham radio activities. It could even save lives.
3. Support Local Events: Providing communication at marathons, bikeathons, and parades not only keeps things running smoothly but demonstrates to your community the value of ham radio.
4. Make a difference as a member of your amateur radio club. Just being a member is only part of the equation. Take the time to serve as an Elmer to less experienced hams who may need your expertise but are perhaps too hesitant to ask for it. Patiently answer questions and offer wise guidance. Remember, you were a novice once too.
5. Donate to DXpeditions. You don’t have to be a company like DX Engineering to make an impact for operators hoping to activate IOTA and DXCC entities for the benefit of the ham radio community. Every donation makes a difference, and you’ll feel good knowing that you helped make a bunch of ATNOs possible—maybe even one for yourself!
6. Support youth operators. This is a cause at the top of DX Engineering’s must-do list, and there are a number of ways you can get involved: donate gear to help build school stations and offer your mentorship to help grow stellar operators; contribute to youth DXpeditions; get involved in Jamboree on the Air (JOTA); reach out to schools about the value of including ham radio as part of STEM curriculums; volunteer to do ham radio presentations to youth organizations, 4-H clubs, places of worship, etc.; introduce your own kids or grandkids to ham radio during ARRL Kids’ Day; and the list goes on.
7. Reintroduce a friend to ham radio. We hear it all the time at DX Engineering: “I haven’t operated a radio in thirty years. I have no idea where to begin.” Be that person to patiently help a ham rediscover the magic of getting on the air.
8. Join the ARRL. If you haven’t done so already, you should. The minimal annual fee supports an organization that has passionately advocated for the interests of operators everywhere since 1914. Plus, you receive many educational benefits that can add to your enjoyment of getting on the air. Join today!
9. Support not-for-profit organizations like INDEXA and HamSCI. The volunteer-run INDEXA (International DX Association) has been dedicated to making DX possible since its establishment in 1983. The group has sponsored hundreds of DXpeditions to rare and semi-rare entities, in addition to combining radio activity with humanitarian pursuits. HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, promotes advanced scientific research through amateur radio activities, encourages the development of new technologies, and provides educational opportunities for the amateur radio community and general public.
10. Play by the rules…and accept that there are many ways to be a ham. One of the easiest ways to give back as a ham is to be a good operator. Play by the rules when contesting. Adhere to proper etiquette when chasing DX or using a repeater. How you present yourself on the air matters and can be the difference between another operator having a positive or negative experience. Take this a step further by imparting your operating wisdom to new operators. And finally, understand that there are many roads one can take on the ribbon-like highway of ham radio interests. Not every avenue may be the path you prefer, but that’s okay. We’re all hams, so lift up your fellow operators whenever you possibly can.

The post DX Engineering’s 2024 Catalog Now Available—Cover Promotes the Importance of Hams “Giving Back” appeared first on OnAllBands.

With ARRL Field Day 2024 rapidly approaching, OnAllBands will be looking at a few more items to consider loading in the trunk before heading out to your operating location on June 22-23. These Field-Day-friendly devices and apparel (and more than 30,000 other amateur radio products) can be easily ordered at DXEngineering.com and shipped to you in plenty of time for the big weekend.

Need help figuring out exactly what you need? The Elmers at DX Engineering—with more than 1,000-plus years of amateur radio experience and a slew of Field Days under their belts—will make sure you’re selecting the right gear for your needs and budget.

Before we get into today’s featured products, check out these Field Day suggestions for coaxial cables, solar panels and LiFePO4 batteries, portable HF antennas, and antenna analyzers.

Tool Kits

Nothing says emergency communications preparedness (the original purpose of Field Day, after all) more than having the proper tools handy when setting up your stations or when things don’t go exactly as planned. Visit DXEngineering.com for the full lineup of ham radio tools and tool kits, including:

• Ultra-Grip 2 Crimp Connector Hand Tool Kit (DXE-UT-KIT-CRMP2, below)
• Complete Kit of Coaxial Cable Prep Tools for Crimp Connectors (DXE-UT-KIT-CC1)
• Basic (DXE-UT-KIT3) and Complete (DXE-UT-KIT4) Coaxial Cable Tool Kits for prepping and installing soldered connectors
• F-Connector Coax Cable Tool Kit (DXE-UT-KITF) for RG-6U dual-shield/quad shield and RG6 size cable

What do hams say about the Ultra-Grip 2 Crimp Connector Hand Tool Kit?

Five Stars: “This is an outstanding tool. If you are thinking about going to crimp-on connectors, this is what you need to put on just about anything that can be crimped. I use it for my coax as well as my power poles. It is a solid tool and everything you need is included in the box. Dies can be switched in just a few minutes and all the dies you will ever need are included. Highly recommended.”

Wilburn, DX Engineering Customer

DX Engineering cable stripping/cutting tools for crimp connectors can be purchased separately or together in the DXE-UT-KIT-CC1. The simple-to-use devices allow you to insert the coax into one end, close the cutter and twist to cut to the correct measurement. Then insert the coax in the other end of the cutter, close it and withdraw to produce a slit for easy removal of the cut portions. The model below strips 8X size cables:

Hinged cable grippers, strippers for 50-ohm cable (DXE-UT-8213, DXE-UT-808X, DXE-UT-8213LR, below), gripper/stripper combos, and crimper tool and dies are also sold separately.

Band Pass Filters

For issues with wideband n0ise from transmitters in multi-station Field Day setups, band pass filters can make a major difference. DX Engineering carries VA6AM 150W PEP HF Band Pass Filters for 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M. These high-quality, multi-stage inline passive band pass filters are specifically designed to limit the transmitting and receiving RF passband to a single amateur band.

Headset & Foot Switch Packages

Make it easy on yourself by adding a quality headset and foot switch in one purchase. Combos come with DX Engineering’s rugged and budget-friendly plastic foot switch (DXE-FS-001) or cast metal model (DXE-FS-002). The foot switches are paired with Heil Pro Set Elite Headsets or Pro 7 Headsets.

Just looking for a foot switch to add to your Field Day setup? DX Engineering offers three models sold separately here. Below is the extra-wide super-duty cast metal foot switch (DXE-FS-003).

What do hams say about the DXE-FS-003 Foot Switch?

Five Stars: “Not a Toy! I’m impressed with the quality of the DXE-FS-003 Foot Switch. I spent decades working in public safety 911 dispatch centers, and this is comparable to the foot switches used in that service that get stomped on 24/7/365, year after year. As the title to my review says, it’s not a toy. It’s solid, heavy, and doesn’t slide around or mar the polished wood floor it sits on. I would expect years of service under the feet of any club-footed ham. This is the real thing, not a cheap imitation.”

Mel, DX Engineering Customer

Headsets

Heil Sound offers a range of headsets perfect for hours of comfortable, fatigue-free Field Day operating. Models include:

• Pro 7 Headsets have passive noise-canceling ability that blocks out background noise, audio balance control, a phase reversal switch for digging out weak signals, and adjustable mic boom.
• Pro Set Elite Headsets deliver bright, articulate audio with acoustically-tuned chambers that facilitate a high rejection of outside noise.
• Lightweight and comfortable Pro Set 6 Headsets use Heil’s HC 6 wide-response mic element so you can take advantage of the microphone EQ of your modern transceiver.
• Heil’s lightweight BM-17 Emergency Communication Headsets come with a swivel-mounted boom that makes easy work of moving the microphone to the desired position. They feature extremely sensitive speakers that don’t require much AF drive from the transceiver; a frequency response of 200Hz-5kHz; and low distortion.

You’ll find all the Heil headset and microphone adapter cables you need at DXEngineering.com. Also available is the INRAD W1 Headset and the 4O3A NC-1 Noise Canceling Bluetooth Boom Mic Headset.

Telescopic Masts

DX Engineering’s Premier Telescoping Carbon Fiber Masts make a great choice as a temporary antenna support on Field Day. Available in four versions (24-, 33-, and 49-foot, and heavy-duty 33-foot), these masts collapse down to a compact size for easy portability. They are lighter than aluminum and fiberglass, yet stiffer than steel of the same thickness. 

Also available are DX Engineering Complete Telescoping Fiberglass Tubing and Cam Lock Clamp Kits. Made for easy deployment and transport, the kits feature high-quality pultruded fiberglass tubing with nominal 0.120-inch wall thicknesses for strength, durability, and smooth telescoping. Depending on the kit, tubing is collapsible to either 4 feet or 7.5 feet for easy storage and convenient loading in a vehicle. 

What do hams say about the Complete Telescoping Fiberglass Tubing and Cam Lock Clamp Kits?

Five Stars: “The fit, finish and quality of this mast is very good. Putting together the mast with the included cam lock clamps was very easy…everything just fit well. The provided instructions were spot on. This mast is an awesome addition to my RV radio expeditions.”

Leonard, DX Engineering Customer

Visit DXEngineering.com for more portable mast options, including WiMo Telescoping Masts from 13 to 52 feet tall. 

Looking Good!

If you want to make a fashion statement on Field Day, you’ll find an excellent selection of DX Engineering T-shirts; polo shirts; hats, including the new camo-style ball cap below; and more at DXEngineering.com.

Here’s a quick list of a few more items you’ll want to consider crossing off your Field Day checklist, with convenient links to DXEngineering.com:

• Power Supplies
• Portable Generators
• TransWorld Antenna Packages
• Code Keys and Paddles
• Transceivers
• Guy Line Rope
• Wattmeters
• High-Visibility Antenna Wire (below)

The post Field Day Gear Series Part 5: Tool Kits, Foot Switches, Headsets, Portable Masts & More appeared first on OnAllBands.

Glorioso Islands QRV in May/June

Have you had any luck contacting Marek, FH4VVK, who is operating from Grande Glorioso Island as FT4GL? We hope you’ve been able to add this rare one to your DXCC list. If not, you’ve still got plenty of time. FH4VVK is scheduled to be active from Glorioso Islands—a 1.9-square-mile French overseas territory about 120 miles northwest of Madagascar—until June 19, 2024 on 160-6M in SSB, RTTY, and FT4/FT8.

While the Glorioso Islands’ DXCC ranking is certain to change by the end of FT4GL’s run, it is currently ranked #7 globally, #3 in South America, #6 in Asia, #15 in Europe, #17 in Africa, #4 in Oceania, and #2 on North America’s West Coast per Clublog. Glorioso Islands was last officially on the air in September/October 2009 during the five-operator, 23-day FT5GA DXpedition (see QSL card below), which netted 50,000-plus CW, SSB, and digital QSOs.

DX Engineering has provided FT4GL with VA6AM 150W PEP HF Band Pass Filters for 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M to help make more QSOs possible. These high-quality, multi-stage inline passive band pass filters are specifically designed to limit the transmitting and receiving RF passband to a single amateur band. Find more VA6AM products at DXEngineering.com, including a range of VA6AM band pass filters, diplexers, and triplexers.

Need to upgrade your setup for better performance on ARRL Field Day (June 22 to 23, 2024)? Here’s something to consider: If VA6AM Band Pass Filters are the equipment of choice for an extremely rare activation, imagine how they will work for your temporary stations in the field!

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Quick Facts About the Glorioso Islands

• The islands are geographically part of the Comoros Islands between the French overseas region of Mayotte Island and Madagascar (click links for QSL cards from each entity).
• The islands are controlled by France as part of the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. They are also claimed by Comoros and Madagascar.
• To protect the Islands’ endangered flora and fauna, France founded a 17,000-square-mile marine protected area known as Glorioso Islands Marine Natural Park. Due to its isolation, the park is particularly useful for the study of climate change and the area’s marine biodiversity.

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QSL Cards from the Glorioso Islands

While infrequently activated, the Glorioso Islands have been reached by several of the hams at DX Engineering over the years. Here are a few of the QSL cards from their collections, from the oldest to the most recent.

Wayne, K8FF, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received the card below from the FR7ZP DXpedition in November 1966—one of the earliest amateur radio ventures to the Glorioso Islands. The DXpedition was sponsored by the World Radio Propagation Study Association (WRPSA), an organization that served as a hub for collecting and disbursing donations to fund these seminal activations. The association also analyzed the logs of DXpeditioners (Gus Browning, W4BPD; Don Miller, W9WNV; et. al.) to provide insight on propagation conditions of previously unstudied locations for the benefit of hams everywhere.

FR7ZP’s operator was W9WNV, one of the most famous and influential DXpeditioners of all time. K8FF made an SSB QSO with W9WNV using his old call, K8WOT.

“I worked him (W9WNV) from a number of places over his career of DXpeditions,” K8FF said. “My first QSO with him was when he was stationed in Korea. His call at that time was HL9KH. He was an excellent CW operator and during operations would frequently answer three or four stations at a time causing much confusion for those that couldn’t figure it out! For a while he joined up with Chuck (Swain), K7LMU, going to various places. Unfortunately, Chuck was lost at sea returning from a DXpedition.*

“There are probably 25 or 30 QSLs in my file from Gus Browning, W4BPD, another great CW operator. Those were good times for us just starting in DXing back in the 1960s.”

* Editor’s note: K7LMU and Ted Thorpe, ZL2AWJ, were never seen again after they set out to sea following the 1966 FW8ZZ DXpedition from Wallis Island.

Scotty, KG9Z, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received this card from the January 1987 FR/G/FH4ED Glorioso Island DXpedition.

Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, received the card below from the September/October 2009 FT5GA activation from Grande Glorioso Island.

Dave, K8DV, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, also reached FT5GA’s team of French military operators (30/15M CW; 20M SSB).

Want to upgrade your DXing capabilities? Find everything you need at DX Engineering, including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headsets, and more.

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Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. We’re excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands we’ve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!

The post It’s All in the Cards! QSL Cards from the Glorioso Islands appeared first on OnAllBands.

Seasoned operators will tell you that an antenna analyzer is one of the most important performance-enhancing items to take along with you for ARRL Field Day. If you haven’t added one to your arsenal of testing gear, it’s an upgrade that should be high on your list as Field Day approaches.

Mark, K8MSH, highlights their many uses and practicality for Field Day ops in his excellent article, Proper Use of Antenna Analyzers for Ham Radio Operators:

“As a lightweight, self-contained unit, the analyzer has a built-in low-power signal generator which allows testing beyond the edges of the amateur radio bands and doesn’t interfere with other stations on the air. With measurement and display systems combined into a small package, plus built-in battery power, they’re perfect for use in the field.”

The Hams at DX Engineering—active operators with more than 1,000+ years of combined experience—have been successfully using antenna analyzers for years. If you’re new to antenna analyzer shopping, they can help you choose the model that’s best suited for your setup and budget. The great news is that DX Engineering carries a wide range of Field Day-friendly antenna analyzers and accessories that will become essential year-round tools long after Field Day is over.

These versatile workhorses perform a variety of functions, including measuring the capacitance or inductance of reactive loads, checking coaxial cable assemblies, tuning an antenna to resonance, and performing antenna SWR and impedance measurements. (Read this article on How to Test Coaxial Cable for details on one of their many uses.)

You’ll find an excellent selection of antenna analyzers at DXEngineering.com. Here are a few options:

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RigExpert Antenna Analyzers

RigExpert has been producing and refining their popular antenna analyzers since 2003. The devices are available in a range of frequency coverage and prices.

Choose from the AA-35ZOOM (0.06 to 35 MHz—shown below), AA-55ZOOM (0.06 to 55 MHz), AA-650ZOOM (0.1 to 650 MHz), AA-1500ZOOM (0.1 to 1,500 MHz), and the AA-2000ZOOM (0.1 to 2,000 MHz) models featuring bright LCD screens that provide graphic illustrations of SWR, impedance, return loss and more; the ability to connect with a PC or Mac for further functionality; and a zoom-in function to get a closer look at graphic points.

What do Hams Say About the RigExpert AA-35ZOOM Antenna Analyzer?

Five Stars: “I now concur with everyone who says one of these is an “indispensable” essential for any station. I set up my first HF station and a multiband trap dipole, tuner, and digital SWR/wattmeter. I ran for a month and then finally bought this as I struggled to understand an issue tuning up on 80M. I connected this to my antenna and PC and boy did I learn a lot in a hurry! Although I was making QSOs on multiple bands and my SWR meter generally gave readings in the “acceptable” range, within five minutes of powering up this RigExpert I discovered that my antenna’s resonance points were below the CW portions of nearly every band. Very easy to learn and use for basic functions, and very necessary for optimizing the locating, orientation, and length of dipoles (and I’m sure many other antenna types).”

Adam, DX Engineering customer

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RigExpert Bluetooth Antenna Analyzer Models

Models AA-230ZOOMBT (0.1 to 230 MHz) and AA-3000ZOOM (0.1 to 3,000 MHz) come with built-in Bluetooth wireless communications that enable you to work with a Bluetooth-equipped smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The AA-3000ZOOM model also features a large 800 x 480 pixel color TFT display with BlanView^® technology, which enables the display to create high contrast and crisp images even when sunlight hits its surface directly.

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Small & Mighty “Stick” Antenna Analyzers

RigExpert “Stick” antenna analyzers with integrated Bluetooth technology offer similar functionality but in a lighter, more compact package for easier transport in the field (7.3″ x 1.6″ x 1.3″; 6.5 ounces).

DX Engineering carries these stick models:

• STICK-PRO (0.1 to 600 MHz)
• STICK-230 (100 kHz to 230 MHz)
• STICK-500 (100 kHz to 500 MHz)
• STICK-XPRO (0.1 to 1,000 MHz, shown below)

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Add more functionality to your RigExpert antenna analyzer with a DX Engineering OSL (Open-Short-Load) Calibration Set that allows the measurement reference plane of AA-55ZOOM and higher analyzers to be moved to the far end of the transmission line for accurate measurement of any antenna in its proper operating location.

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Also available is Comet’s popular CAA-500MARKII Antenna Analyzer (1.8 to 500 MHz), featuring a cross-needle analog function and full-color TFT LCD that shows SWR and total impedance with R and X values.

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For easy transport in the field, consider an analyzer/case combo that pairs a RigExpert or Comet antenna analyzer with a NANUK case in your choice of colors.

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Also check out mini vector network analyzers from Chelegance and WiMo available at DXEngineering.com. Below is the Chelegance JNCRadio 3G Portable Vector Network Analyzer, which features 50 kHz to 3 GHz coverage. The unit can be used for measuring SWR, impedance, reactance, phase, delay, and Q factor of RF circuits, filters, duplexers, amplifier strip lines, cables and antennas, and many other applications. It displays in linear, polar, and Smith Chart plots.

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Since Field Day preparation never stops, visit DXEngineering.com today for everything you’ll need for a successful weekend, including coaxial cables, solar panels, and much more.

The post Field Day Gear Series Part 4: Antenna Analyzers appeared first on OnAllBands.

After months of preparation, countless volunteer hours, and anticipation by thousands of hams who have had the dates circled in red for months, the wait is almost over! The gates are set to open on Dayton Hamvention at 9 am on Friday, May 17 and close on Sunday, May 19 at 1 pm.

The result of all the behind-the-scenes work is a celebration of amateur radio like no other—three days jampacked with the best ham radio has to offer, whether you’re looking to score a vintage rig at the flea market, take home a brand-new transceiver, or walk away with information you can use from many educational forums.

If you get the chance, also take the time to congratulate this year’s Hamvention award winners: Special Achievement Award, Anthony Luscre, K8ZT; Technical Achievement Award, Ward Silver, N0AX; Club of the Year, the Young Ladies’ Radio League; and Amateur of the Year Award, Edward Engleman, KG8CX.

Watch the winner announcements in the video below:

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If you’re planning on attending the Dayton Hamvention, check out the event’s official website to map out how to best spend your time at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio—the location that has been a welcome home for hams from around the world since 2017. 

You’ll also want to take some time visiting DX Engineering’s booths in Building One—the company’s largest presence ever at Hamvention. Just like all the prep work that goes into putting on the best hamfest possible, the team at DX Engineering has been working nonstop to make sure your time at their booths will be well worth the visit. Here’s what you’ll find:

Lots of Station-Upgrading Gear for Sale

Because DX Engineering headquarters/showroom near Akron, Ohio is only about three hours away from Xenia, the company is able to truck down loads of products for immediate sale. Take your time shopping for popular transceivers, antenna analyzers, portable antennas, ferrite RFI suppression kits, coaxial cable prep tool kits, amplifiers, CW keys and paddles, receiving devices, grounding and bonding gear, lightning and surge protection, wattmeters, and much more.

Items on Display for You to Order

If you’ve ever seen the Summit Racing/DX Engineering warehouse on a trip to Northeast Ohio, you’ll understand the enormity of the operation. You’ll also understand that bringing along the full lineup of gear available from DX Engineering—more than 30,000 amateur radio products from 175-plus manufacturers—simply isn’t possible, even with our expanded booths.

What you will find are displays of many products that allow you to get up close and see for yourself why other hams rave about them—like the DX Commander Signature 9 40-10M Vertical Antenna. Like what you see? Place your order with a friendly sales rep and we’ll ship the product right to your door.

Meet the DX Engineering Team

For the DX Engineering team—enthusiastic, active hams like you—one of the most exciting moments of Hamvention is the initial surge of amateurs entering the booths on the Friday morning of the show, just after the gates swing open. While we enjoy helping hams over the phone or through email, nothing beats making eyeball QSOs with familiar faces or spending one-on-one time assisting a new operator who just earned his or her Technician license. Rest assured, you’ll receive the same friendly, patient, and informed advice at Hamvention that you’ve come to expect from contacting DX Engineering from y0ur QTH.

Simply, we love ham radio and Hamvention as much as you do—and it shows.

Pick up the New 2024 DX Engineering Catalog

Hot off the presses, the 2024 edition of the DX Engineering Amateur Radio Catalog will be available—great reading material (if you’re in the passenger’s seat) for your long trip home after the show.

Gifts Galore

In addition to bringing along loads of gear for sale, DX Engineering will also have lots of DX Engineering swag for you to take home: logo polo shirts, T-shirts, work shirts (below), baby rompers, sweatshirts, umbrellas, regular and new camo-style ball caps, tumblers, mugs, PaddlePads, and more.

Apparel comes in both men’s and women’s styles from small to 4X-large.

The post Make Plans to Visit DX Engineering’s Expanded Booths at the 2024 Dayton Hamvention®! appeared first on OnAllBands.

If you’re looking for proven, highly transportable, and easy-to-deploy options for getting on the air during the 2024 ARRL Field Day (June 22-23), you can’t go wrong with any number of portable HF antennas available at DXEngineering.com. This article represents just a sampling of what you’ll find online.

Let’s begin our survey of Field Day antenna options with the amateur radio pros at Chelegance, who offer several excellent choices for POTA, SOTA, Field Day, and other outdoor activations:

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JPC-12 Portable HF Vertical Antenna

The JPC-12 (40-6M) is built for easy assembly and excellent performance. You receive a special antenna base with SO-239, ground stake, counterpoise wire set, manual tuning multiband coil, heavy-duty aluminum tubes with threaded studs, stainless telescopic whip, and carrying bag.

With a manually tuned center-mount coil and whip adjustments, expect good results from 7 MHz and up. It handles up to 100W and can be quickly put together to connect with a user-supplied coax for use on the go.

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JPC-7 Portable HF Dipole Antenna

This 100W antenna covering 40 through 6 meters includes special antenna base, a 1:1 choke balun with SO-239 and connection leads, rotating arm bracket kit, brass connector, tripod adapter, manual tuning multiband coils, heavy-duty aluminum arms, and two 98.4-inch stainless telescopic whips.

The dipole kit comes packed into the provided 14.5″ x 9″ carrying bag but extends out to over 21.5 feet overall. Requires user-supplied tripod/mast and coaxial cable for portable use.

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MC-750 Portable HF Vertical Antenna

Covering 40 through 6 meters and handling up to 100W, this no-tools-required antenna system is easy to set up and disassemble. Its antenna base features a built-in ground spike; female SO-239 connector; and jacks for up to four preassembled, 11.48-foot counterpoise radials (included). The antenna functions as a quarter-wave vertical ground plane antenna for the 14-50 MHz frequency range while using the included 17-foot telescoping whip.

Also included is a loading coil for operating in the 7 MHz/40M band.

The kit comes with a 1.64-foot extension, cable winder, and carrying bag. Tripod for the MC-750 and 80M tuning coil available separately.

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DX Engineering Multiband Off-Center Fed (OCF) Dipole Antenna Kit

This wire dipole kit offers the benefit of HF multiband operation—an unusually useful result of feeding two different lengths of wire with a 4:1 balun—as compared to a single-band resonant dipole with equal length wire legs. Low SWR band coverage is typically achieved with a transceiver’s internal antenna tuner. For legal limit 1.5kW SSB and CW power handling, the cost of OCF multiband operation is the requirement of a capable external tuner.

This rugged wire antenna kit includes two lengths of premium 14-gauge relaxed PVC antenna wire with soldered ring terminal for connection to the balun; one DXE-MC20-C4-1 Maxi-Core® 4:1 Balun; the patented high-strength antenna center insulator DXE-WA-BMB Balun Mounting Bracket and End Insulators; stainless steel hardware; and printed instructions.

User trims the provided 48-foot and 113-foot lengths of wire to achieve the desired band coverage (80-10M or 40-10M). Add rope and supports, such as a DX Engineering Premier Telescoping Carbon Fiber Mast, all available at DXEngineering.com.

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DX Engineering EZ-BUILD® UWA Center-T and End Insulator Kit

Not sure what kind of antenna you want for Field Day? Here’s an easy solution. This kit has the pieces you need to create a range of wire antennas, including single-band, multiband, multi-frequency, folded dipole, doublet and inverted-V, OFC, Windom, Zepp, long wires, rhombic, V-beam, or loop antennas. There’s no need for looping, wrapping, or soldering, so adjusting wire lengths in the field is fast and simple.

Designed for building wire antennas for high-power operations, this model mounts to any DX Engineering balun for a balanced and isolated wire antenna, or this insulator kit may be used directly with DX Engineering 300-Ohm Ladder Line for a non-resonant multiband dipole. The kit includes a center-T insulator; two end insulators; two stainless steel wire connection bolts, nuts, and washers; six crimp ring terminals for antenna and ladder line wire connections; and additional stainless steel hardware for mounting a DX Engineering balun.

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DX Commander Expedition Portable HF Multiband Vertical Antenna

The Expedition model (36.75 feet, 2.13 feet collapsed) covers 40-6M and comes with sturdy fiberglass pole, alloy plates, spreader plates, stay-up kit, shock-cord, DX10 wire, hardware, and more. The antenna features efficient quarter-wave vertical performance and low SWR on every band of operation without the need for traps, coils, or antenna tuners. The antenna is rated at 1,500W SSB/CW and 400W for FT8 and other digital modes.

The new 2024 Expedition version comes with speed slots, screw base, and quick-release elements for even faster deployment and teardown.

Five Stars: “I gave mine a proper workout recently for Winter Field Day and was very pleased with the performance using 20 radials (I made over 70 digital contacts using 5W). Wide bandwidth easily covers all designed bands well under 2:1 SWR. Very lightweight and portable, it took me about 20 minutes to set up (mainly uncoiling wire and organizing guy lines). Materials provided are high quality and the entire antenna is modular, so if one thing breaks you can just replace what you need. The wire is very easy to work with and is perfect for radials (it’s like a wet noodle). I look forward to using it for Summer Field Day in a few months and during other portable ops. Overall, a very clever design for an easy to set up, portable, multiband 1/4-wave vertical antenna.”

Find all DX Commander HF Multiband Vertical Antennas and Accessories at DX Engineering, the exclusive North American distributor of DX Commander products.

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DX Engineering Multiband Dipole Antenna Kits

Ideal for easy setup on Field Day, these rugged yet lightweight 2,500W power rated antennas are usable to 30 MHz with a tuner balun (available separately). They feature strong and flexible 14 AWG stranded-copper, relaxed PVC-jacketed elements; 18 AWG 300-ohm ladder feedline; center-T support; and end mount brackets. Choose from three models:

• DXE-WA-070 – Antenna, 70-foot long for 40M and Up
• DXE-WA-135 – Antenna, 135-foot long for 80M and Up
• DXE-WA-260 – Antenna, 260-foot long for 160M and Up

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REZ Ranger 80 HF Portable Antenna System

The Ranger 80 kit comes with an adjustable, rugged base-load tuning coil that allows for tuning from 80-15M with the included seven-section tapered military whip made from brass and stainless steel (9.3 feet extended, 17 inches collapsed). Operation on 12M and 10M requires the use of an optional telescoping whip (sold separately) in place of the included whip.

The unique manual-tuning sliding coil collar features a large contact area for worry-free power handling (200W SSB, 100W digital at 50% duty cycle). The heavy-duty coil base comes with a REZ Radial Puck with eight 4mm holes.

The kit also includes four 33-foot 18-gauge radials terminated with 4mm banana plugs for quick connection to the puck. The Ranger 80 and additional gear fit nicely in the provided laser-cut, water-resistant MOLLE backpack (your choice of five colors). Kits either include 17-inch ground spike mount or aluminum tripod mount.

Read an excellent review of the Ranger 80 from Mark, K8MSH, here.

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Chameleon MPAS 2.0 Portable HF Backpack Antenna System

This system covers HF and 6M and comes with either the Hybrid-Micro (100W SSB/50W CW) or Hybrid-Mini (500W SSB/250W CW) matching unit; portable base; 113-inch collapsible whip antenna; 105.5-inch antenna extension; 50 feet of coax with RFI choke; in-ground antenna mount; military-style olive green backpack; stainless steel hardware; and 75 feet of antenna wire and 25 feet of counterpoise wire to support a range of deployment configurations, including vertical, horizontal, sloper, inverted-V, inverted-L, NVIS, balcony, stationary vehicle, and man-pack. Also available are MPAS Lite models.

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Find many more antenna options at DX Engineering.com from leading brands, including Par EndFedz, Kelemen, Alpha Delta, Icom, Buckmaster, Bushcomm, more Chameleon portable antennas, SOTAbeams, TW Antennas, plus other DX Engineering branded antenna choices and accessories.

The post Field Day Gear Series Part 3: Portable HF Antennas appeared first on OnAllBands.

Bolivia QRV in May 2024

The multi-operator CP7DX DXpedition from Bolivia is scheduled to be active until May 19. Chasers hoping to capture an ATNO or fill bands with this landlocked country in western-central South America will have an excellent opportunity on 160-6M in SSB, CW, FT4/FT8, and satellites (SSB and FM). The Argentinian operators will be employing a range of gear, including Icom transceivers (IC-9700 VHF/UHF/1.2 GHz and others), Yaesu and Elecraft rigs, and Ameritron amplifiers.

Bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest, and Peru to the west, Bolivia (officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia) has a population of close to 12.2 million and a total area of 424,164 square miles—larger than Texas (216,193 square miles) and smaller than Alaska (665,400 square miles). In August 1825, the country was named after Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan leader in the Spanish American wars of independence.

Bolivia was ranked as the 186^th Most Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublog as of April.

QSL Cards

The active hams at DX Engineering have had great success contacting Bolivia over the years (a good reason to contact them for help with your gear if you’d like to do the same). Here are a few of the QSL cards from their collections.

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Wayne, K8FF, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, worked CP5EZ in January 1963.

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Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, received this card from CP8XA.

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Dave, N8NB, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received the QSL card below from CP4BT in March 2013. It features a llama—Bolivia’s national animal. There are more than three million llamas in Bolivia, accounting for over 60% of the world’s llama population. Like other members of the camel family in Bolivia (alpacas, guanacos, vicuñas), the llama plays a key role in the country’s economy and culture, as well as in the livelihoods of its inhabitants.

Tupiza, the QTH of the CP4BT DXpedition, is a town in southern Bolivia, where, according to historical accounts, American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid passed through on their way to their deaths, glamorized in the Tinseltown depiction starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman.

Different from the guns-blazing, Hollywoodized shootout that ends the 1969 movie that bears their nicknames, it is believed the two men, cornered by Bolivian soldiers, died in 1908 in San Vicente, Bolivia, either during a gunfight or by self-inflicted wounds after being badly injured, as detailed in a March 2007 article in the Miami Herald.

Butch Cassidy (born Robert LeRoy Parker in Utah, 1866) and the Sundance Kid (born Harry Longabaugh in Pennsylvania, 1867) would meet up and become partners in crime, robbing several banks in the U.S. before fleeing to Argentina in 1901. While in South America, they bought a farm and went on the straight and narrow until 1905. The duo fled to Chile when authorities accused them of a robbery they apparently didn’t commit. “By 1908, they had turned up in Tupiza,” according to the article. Soldiers and civilians began hunting the pair after they robbed a mining company payroll. On November 6 they arrived in San Vicente, where a four-man posse barged into the adobe hut where they were lodging. Accounts differ as to what happened next, but historians agree that this was the spot where the bandits met their end.

Today, San Vicente (population of about 100 per a 2000 census) is “three to five hours by car over dirt roads from Tupiza, depending on whether sudden squalls turn dry creek beds into raging rivers,” according to the article. The town is home to a mining company and a Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid museum.

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Dave, K8DV, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, reached CP1FF in May 2007 on 15M SSB. George, K3GP, customer/technical support specialist, contacted CP1FF in September 2000 on 15M RTTY.

Want to upgrade your DXing capabilities? Find everything you need at DX Engineering, including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headsets, and more.

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Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. We’re excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands we’ve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!

The post It’s All in the Cards! QSL Cards from Bolivia appeared first on OnAllBands.

In 2023, DXers got their shot at a host of rarely activated locales, including Swains Island W8S, Bouvet Island 3Y0J, and Crozet Islands, which dropped from #3 to its current position of #31 thanks to the one-man FT8WW DXpedition by Thierry Mazel, F6CUK.

This year is already shaping up to be a worthy predecessor in the “expect-big-pileups” department, as many amateurs hoping to work the world have already reached Clipperton Island TX5S and are chomping at the bit to check off DXCC entities like Jarvis/Palmyra Islands—scheduled for activation during the N5J Rig in a Box operation in August 2024.

A “Glorious” Opportunity for an ATNO

This month offers up another one of the ultra-rare ones: Glorioso Islands, a 1.9-square-mile French overseas territory about 120 miles northwest of Madagascar. It is currently ranked #7 globally, #3 in South America, #6 in Asia, #15 in Europe, #17 in Africa, #4 in Oceania, and #2 on North America’s West Coast per Clublog. Glorioso Islands was last officially on the air in September/October 2009 during the six-operator FT5GA DXpedition, which netted 50,000-plus CW, SSB, and digital QSOs. 

Glorioso Islands (IOTA AF-011)—part of the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands—is scheduled to be put on the air by Marek, FH4VVK, using the call sign FT4GL. An operation to Glorioso by FH4VVK was postponed in December 2023 and delayed again in March 2024. While he’ll be setting foot on the island alone, he is receiving assistance from a team of supporters along with pilots who will help him secure as many QSOs as possible during his time on the island, May 24 to June 19. FH4VVK plans to operate on 160-6M in SSB, RTTY, and FT4/FT8 from Grande Glorioso, the largest of the Glorioso Islands.

The DXpedition was made possible through an agreement of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. In 2012, France designated a 17,000-square-mile area around the islands as the Glorioso Islands Marine Natural Park. This maritime protected area was established to preserve the biodiverse flora and fauna of the islands, including humpback whales, green sea turtles, and nearly 350 species of coral reef fish.

Keeping the Bands in Line

DX Engineering has provided FT4GL with VA6AM 150W PEP HF Band Pass Filters for 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10M to help make more QSOs possible. These high-quality, multi-stage inline passive band pass filters are specifically designed to limit the transmitting and receiving RF passband to a single amateur band. Find VA6AM band pass filters, diplexers, and triplexers at DXEngineering.com.

The post One-Operator FT4GL Glorioso Islands DXpedition Scheduled for May 24-June 19DX Engineering Helps Out as Equipment Provider appeared first on OnAllBands.

As we do every year for this annual series on preparing for a successful ARRL Field Day (June 22-23, 2024), OnAllBands would like to remind you that there is no shorter—or more economical—path to improved performance than upgrading the coaxial cable assemblies you’ll be employing in your temporary stations.

And there’s no easier way to get precisely what you need than through the coaxial cable experts at DX Engineering—either by the foot; in bulk; as assemblies with connectors professionally installed; or with your choice of cable in your desired length and connector types on both ends (see Custom Cable Builder below).

With Field Day not far away, our best advice is to take stock of what coaxial cable you have and what you’ll need. Then ask the important questions:

• Has my coax seen a few too many Field Days? Is it showing signs of wear? What about the condition of the connectors? (We know folks can get attached to their equipment and would love to see it last another season, but it’s best to be honest in your assessment. Otherwise, performance will suffer.)
• Do we have enough coaxial cable and the preferred types to handle what we plan to set up? (Don’t guess at the last minute. Make a plan and find out for yourself.)
• Have I been relying on cheaper coax that may have saved some money at the expense of poorer results?

Here’s a question we get a lot at DX Engineering: Does high-quality, better-made coaxial cable really make that much of a difference? For the answer, we’ll let actual customers who upgraded to DX Engineering cable tell their stories:

Five Stars (RG-8/U 50-Ohm Bulk Coaxial Cable): “Excellent coax cable—flexible and very good quality. My station has improved thanks to the excellent quality of the DX Engineering RG-8/U.”

Five Stars (RG-8X 50-Ohm Bulk Coaxial Cable): “In my 30 years of radio, I have probably soldered and made miles of jumpers and feed lines from various types of coaxial cable, but I can honestly say that this coax was a pleasure to work with. It’s of the utmost highest quality for its rate specifications. When I say high quality, I base that off of several factors. When soldering, cheap coax will melt quickly, especially the inner conductor insulation. I didn’t have that issue, even with several minutes of direct contact with my 800-degree soldering iron. Also, I didn’t notice any splitting or cracking of the jacket when I cut into it. Cheap coax will split or rip easily. No issues whatsoever. Perfect for a VHF/UHF feed line.”

Five Stars (400MAX PL-259 Low-Loss 50-Ohm Coax Assemblies): “These DX Engineering 400MAX PL-259 Low-Loss 50-Ohm Coax Assemblies are the best money can buy IMHO. The patented PL-259 connectors ‘bite’ right in when tightened and do not have a tendency to cross thread like other cheaper connectors do. Over the past year I have been switching out all of my antenna coax cable runs and radio/tuner jumpers to these types of cable assemblies.”

Best of all, you receive something that most other coaxial cable providers don’t offer—support from active ham radio operators with a combined 1,000+ years of experience selecting and installing coax in their own stations. Have a question about the right cable for your needs? Not sure about the correct length? No problem. Get prompt and informed answers from the DX Engineering team.  

Premade Coaxial Cable Assembly Options

DX Engineering coax assemblies are available in lengths from 1.5 to 200 feet (length options vary per type of coax). They either come with DX Engineering’s patented Next Generation crimp/solder 8U or 8X PL-259 (UHF Male), Amphenol 83-1SP PL-259, type-N male, or BNC male connectors on both ends. DX Engineering coaxial cable is also available by the foot and by the roll up to 1,000 feet.

All DX Engineering cable assemblies are hi-pot tested and heat-shrink weather-sealed for long life. Plus, you receive same-day shipping on in-stock orders placed before 10 pm ET Monday-Friday.

Ordering of premade cable assemblies is fast and simple at DXEngineering.com. Choose from these DX Engineering coaxial cables:

• RG-214 Double-Shielded 50-ohm
• RG-400 High-Isolation Double-Shielded 50-ohm
• 400MAX Low-Loss Cable 50-ohm
• RG-8U Low-Loss 50-ohm Foam Dielectric
• RG-8X Low-Loss 50-ohm Foam Dielectric
• RG-6/U 75-ohm Quad-Shield
• RG-58A/U 52-ohm
• RG-11U 75-ohm Bulk
• RG-213U Low-Loss Mil-Spec 50-ohm

High-visibility RG-8X cable with an orange PVC jacket is also now available at DXEngineering.com.

Cables Made to Order

DX Engineering’s online Custom Cable Builder lets you select made-to-order coaxial cables that meet your precise needs (type of coax, type of connectors on both ends, length up to 300 feet). Custom cables are professionally assembled, hi-pot tested, and shipped within two business days after purchase. Also available on the Custom Cable Builder is DX Engineering Tinned Copper Braid and Times Microwave LMR coaxial cables.

OnAllBands will be featuring much more Field Day essentials leading up to the big weekend, including tool kits for preparing your coaxial cable, power supplies, headsets, LiFePO4 battery and charger combos (below), wire antenna kits, solar panels, and more.

The post Field Day Gear Series Part 1:Good Field Day Prep Begins with a Good Look at Your Coaxial Cables appeared first on OnAllBands.

OnAllBands is rounding out our QSL card posts for the month with a brief look at several entities that will be active in May, along with QSL cards from the team of avid DXers at DX Engineering.

Stay tuned because in a few weeks we’ll be featuring cards from Glorioso Islands, one of the rarest of them all (#7 globally and #2 on the west coast of North America per Clublog). Marek, FH4VVK, using the call sign FT4GL, is scheduled to be operating from Grande Glorioso, the largest of the Glorioso Islands, from May 24 to June 19 on 160-6M in SSB, RTTY, and FT4/FT8. Look for more at OnAllBands about this exciting ATNO opportunity in the days to come.

Ogasawara

The JD1BMH DXpedition by JG7PSJ from Chichijima (IOTA AS-031) is scheduled to run until May 4. The 30 subtropical and tropical islands comprising Ogasawara Islands, also known as Bonin Islands, lie 540 miles south of Tokyo. There are about 2,000 people living on Chichijima, one of only two inhabited islands in the archipelago. Ogasawara is the 125^th Most Wanted DXCC Entity according to Clublog as of April.

Mark, W8BBQ, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, reached JD1BLY in December 2011 on 30/15M CW.

Rwanda

The 9X2AW DXpedition by DF2WO from Kigali, Rwanda’s capital and largest city (population 1.7 million), is scheduled for May 2-17. The Republic of Rwanda—a landlocked, east-central African country just 75 miles south of the equator—ranked as the 159^th Most-Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublog as of April.

Dave, K8DV, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received this QSL card for reaching 9X0VB on 15M CW in June 2007.

Botswana

The A25SHD holiday-style operation by HB9SHD is scheduled to run until May 13. The landlocked southern African country of Botswana, one of the world’s most sparsely populated locales (the Kalahari Desert comprises nearly three-fourths of the country), ranked as the 147^th Most Wanted DXCC entity per Clublog as of April. Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, reached the multi-operator A25FC DXpedition in April 2011 on 15M SSB. The hippopotamus, featured on the card, can be found by rivers, floodplains, and swamps in Botswana.

British Virgin Islands

W5GI as VP2V/W5GI is scheduled to be active from Anegada in the British Virgin Islands from May 22 to June 3. This British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean consists of four main islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke), along with 50 smaller cays, 16 of which are uninhabited. Fifteen-square-mile Anegada, the northernmost of the British Virgin Islands, has a population of 285 according to a 2010 census, but this number nearly doubles on a typical day during tourist season. The British Virgin Islands was the 111^th Most-Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublog as of April.

K8DV contacted VP2V/AA7V in November 2012 on 160M CW.

Barbados

The 8P9CB DXpedition by WA7RAR (20-10M SSB/CW) is scheduled to run from May 14-26. As of April, Barbados was the 245^th Most-Wanted DXCC Entity per Clublog. KB8UUZ made contact with 8P5A in March 2002.

Want to upgrade your DXing capabilities? Find everything you need at DX Engineering, including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headsets, and more.

Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. We’re excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands we’ve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!

The post It’s All in the Cards! QSL Cards from DXCC Entities on the Air in May appeared first on OnAllBands.

The 100% RIB (Rig in a Box) N5J operation from the Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge, one of the rarest DXCC entities on the planet, is scheduled for a two-week run from August 5-20, 2024. The operating team will consist of Don Greenbaum, N1DG; Mike Snow, KN4EEI; Tomi Pekarik, HA7RY; and Rig in a Box innovator George Wallner, AA7JV. All four operators were also part of the DX Engineering-sponsored Baker Island KH1/KH7Z DXpedition in 2018.

Uninhabited Jarvis Island, which features a dried lagoon where guano deposits were mined in the nineteenth century, is an unincorporated, unorganized U.S. territory administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) of the U.S. Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) system. Jarvis was declared a NWR in 1974. In 2009, President George W. Bush designated Jarvis Island as part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. It is 1,305 nautical miles south of Honolulu.

Incredibly Rare

How rare is a Jarvis Island activation? Very is an understatement. Consider that it hasn’t been active since the April 1990 AH3C/KH5J DXpedition, which logged 55,000 QSOs over ten days. The only other time Jarvis has been QRV was AD1S/KH5 in November 1983—the first time this 1.7-square-mile coral island in the South Pacific was on the air. AD1S/KH5 recorded 16,800 QSOs, which, when added to the QSOs made during the last DXpedition there 34 years ago, doesn’t amount to a mountain of contacts. But because Jarvis Island is a dual entity with the rare but more frequently visited Palmyra Atoll—about 450 miles to the northwest—Jarvis/Palmyra ranks as #18 globally and #9 in Europe on Clublog’s Most Wanted List. Read this fascinating article by Hal, W8HC, about some of Palmyra’s history and the DX Engineering-supported K5P January 2016 DXpedition to the atoll.

Why So Rare?

It’s no secret in the ham community that getting permission from government gatekeepers to put boots—as well as antennas, tents, and other gear—on wildlife protected locales like Jarvis has been a challenge, to say the least. The Rig in a Box concept, which allows hams to operate remotely through self-contained stations set up on land, seems to be finding a more receptive audience with those who make the decisions regarding whether or not to permit DXpeditions to highly restricted lands.

In the case of Jarvis, government entities also wanted to ensure that the mission of the wildlife refuge was compatible with the mission of the ham radio operators. After negotiations that began in 2021, assurances that the DXpedition would have limited environmental impact, and the decision to combine N5J’s ham radio activity with scientific research, the team was granted a Special Use Permit for operation on the reserve.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that the Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to numerous shore and seabirds, including the brown booby, masked booby, red-footed booby, and blue-gray noddy; more than 250 species of fish; manta rays; sea turtles; and “some of the most remote coral reefs in the world,” per its website.

N5J organizers hope a successful activation of Jarvis Island will open the door for other rare DXpeditions in which leaving a minimal footprint is an imperative. N5J plans to have six RIB stations on the island—two for local operation from a boat and the others for remote operation through multiple operators around the world via Starlink. Chasers will be able to reach operators on 160-6M in SSB, CW, and FT8.

From the Jarvis DXpedition website: “The use of the RIB concept and our agreement to take three scientists with us to allow USFWS to conduct needed research on the island were the factors making this possible. Our organization wishes to thank the management of the Pacific Remote Marine National Monument for their efforts in making this possible.”

For much more about the Rig in a Box concept, watch Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, interview RIB creator and N5J operator AA7JV:

For up-to-date details about Jarvis Island N5J, visit their official website.

DX Engineering Lends Its Support

In DX Engineering’s ongoing mission to stand beside hams who are putting rare DXCC entities on the air, the company contributed a range of gear to complement the RIB setups:

• DX Engineering DXE-ATK65A Telescoping Aluminum Antenna Tubing Kits: The kit comes with 11 six-foot sections and one three-foot section of DX Engineering’s rugged 6063-T832 drawn aluminum tubing. The kit also includes all required stainless steel element clamps. The overall length of the assembled sections can reach up to 65 feet.

• DX Engineering 400MAX Type N Low-Loss 50-Ohm Coax Assemblies, 100 Feet Each

• Summit Racing 16-Gauge Accessory Wire, Yellow and Red

• Amphenol Type N Double Female Adapter Connectors

• Mastrant-R Support and Guy Line Rope, 220 Lb. Break Strength, 1,650-Foot Roll (find many more Mastrant options at DXEngineering.com.)

Look for many more details at OnAllBands about Jarvis Island N5J in the days ahead. And stay tuned—OnAllBands will be featuring the equally rare one-operator (FT4GL) activation of Glorioso Islands, May 24-June 19, later this month. The 160-6M operation will include the use of VA6AM band pass filters provided by DX Engineering.

The post Rare Activation of Jarvis Island Slated for August 2024—DX Engineering Gear to Play Important Role appeared first on OnAllBands.

One of our favorite parts of every DX Engineering Amateur Radio Products Catalog is Page 4. That’s where we traditionally highlight new products that we’ve added to the more than 30,000 amateur radio items already found at DXEngineering.com. In the 2024 version of the catalog (available next month), Page 4 features a range of new offerings to upgrade your stations:

• 4O3A NC-1 Noise-Canceling Boom Mic Headset and Accessories
• VE2DX TrueCIV Icom Transceiver Interface Data Hubs, Digital Meter Displays, and Antenna Switches
• FlexRadio Power Genius XL Amplifier, Tuner Genius XL Tuners, and Antenna Genius 8×2 Switch
• VA6AM HF Transmit Band Pass Filters and Multiplexers
• DIEX Rotatable Dipole HF Antennas
• OM Power 1,500+ Linear Amplifiers (exclusively sold in North America through DX Engineering)
• REZ Ranger 80 Antenna Systems
• DXE-8XV RG-8X High-Visibility Orange 50-ohm Coaxial Cables

Along with the above, Page 4 proudly showcases quality-constructed antennas from I0JXX, available right now at DXEngineering.com.

I0JXX is recognized by hams worldwide for their innovative designs, use of quality materials, and excellent workmanship in every antenna and part they produce. DX Engineering is pleased to now offer an excellent selection of high-performance I0JXX 23cm Yagis, 70cm Yagis, VHF/UHF log-periodic dipole arrays, 2M Yagis, 6M Yagis, 6M/2M Yagis, 2320 MHz Yagis, and finely constructed parabolic antenna feedpoint elements. Choose from the following:

6M Yagis

• 5 Elements, 23.9 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-5-6)
• 6 Elements, 24.1 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-6-6, see below)
• 7 Elements, 30.5 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-7-6)

2M Yagis

• 4 Elements, 3.3 Ft., 1,200W PEP (JXX-18470-4-2)
• 4 Elements, 3.6 Ft., 1,200W PEP (JXX-18470-4-2B, see below)
• 8 Elements, 13.78 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-8-2)
• 8 Elements, 15.75 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-8-2B)
• 12 Elements, 18.37 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-12-2)
• 16 Elements, 30.5 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-16-2)
• Cross Yagi, 8+8 Elements, 15.4 Ft., 1,000W PEP
  (JXX-18470-8X8-2)
• Cross Yagi, 16+16 Elements, 31 Ft., 1,000 PEP (JXX-18470-32-2)

2320 MHz Yagi

• 18 Elements, 2.6 Ft., 100W PEP (JXX-18470-18-13, see below)

2,400 MHz Yagi

• 18 Elements, 2.6 Ft., 100W PEP (JXX-18470-O100)

23cm Yagis

• 16 Elements, 3.94 Ft., 250W PEP (JXX-18470-16-23)
• 36 Elements, 9.5 Ft., 250W PEP (JXX-18470-36-23, see below)

1090 MHz Aircraft ADS-B Receive Antenna

• 16 Elements, 4.76 Feet (JXX-18470-16-ADS)

70cm Yagis

• 16 Elements, 10.17 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-16-70)
• 25 Elements, 18 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-25-70)
• Cross Yagi, 32 Elements, 10.3 Ft., 1,000W PEP
  (JXX-18470-32-70)
• 39 Elements, 30.8 Ft., 1,000W PEP (JXX-18470-39-70)

Multiband VHF/UHF Log-Periodic Dipole Arrays

• 2M/70cm/6M/23cm, 24 Elements, 9.5 Ft., 200W PEP
  (JXX-18470-LOG50)
• 2M/70cm/23cm, 20 Elements, 4.9 Ft., 200W PEP
  (JXX-18470-LOG100, see below)

6M/2M Yagi

• 8+3 Elements, 15.58 Ft., 2,000W 6M/1,000W 2M
  (JXX-18470-83-26, see below)

Also find I0JXX Parabolic Antenna Feedpoint Elements for 10 GHz and 24 GHz at DXEngineering.com. These elements—like the 10 GHz, 30W model below (JXX-18470-F3-1F)—capture the signals reflected from the parabolic dish and shield them from extraneous radiation from other sources.

Find many more details and place your order for I0JXX products at DXEngineering.com.

The post New Vendor/Product Spotlight: I0JXX Antennas appeared first on OnAllBands.

It’s been a busy time for DXpeditions—and a great time to be in the thick of the pileups. The avid DXers at DX Engineering have been right in the thick of things as well, providing equipment for a number of high-profile and unique operations that have given DXers ample opportunities to fill bands and record All Time New Ones.

From all of us at DX Engineering and OnAllBands, our thanks to the intrepid operators who continue to put infrequently activated DXCC entities and IOTA spots on the air, and congratulations to the persistent chasers who have skillfully worked them.

Here’s a rundown of a few recent DX Engineering-sponsored DXpeditions:

Guyana 8R7X

The four young Guyana 8R7X operators (Jamie Williams, M0SDV; Philipp Springer, DK6SP; Sven Lovric, DJ4MX; and Tomi Varro, HA8RT) represented the future of ham radio in a monumental way by making more than 73,400 CW, SSB, and Digital QSOs during their 12-day operation from Guyana, February 13-25.

Gear from DX Engineering helped to make this possible:

• Three Icom IC-7610 HF/50MHz All Mode Transceivers (from ICOM USA and DX Engineering)
• Samlex Desktop Switching Power Supply (SEC-1235M)
• Heil Sound Headset Adapter Cable
• RigExpert STICK-PRO o.1-600 MHz Antenna Analyzer
• DX Engineering OSL (Open-Short-Load) Calibration Set for RigExpert Antenna Analyzers

Read more about Guyana 8R7X on the team’s Facebook page.

Temotu Province H40WA

The H40WA Temotu Province team recorded more than 60,500 CW, SSB, and Digital QSOs during their 10-day stay on the island, February 25 to March 5. The DXpeditiion was postponed in November but was well worth the wait. As one chaser wrote, “Thank you so much for the ATNO and 6 slots! You did a really great job!”

“The H40WA Team is grateful for the generous support we’ve received from the great folks at DX Engineering,” co-leader Paul Ewing, N6PSE, wrote on the H40WA Facebook page. “Their equipment and support has enabled us to boost our signals while also receiving you better. Their support makes a significant difference in our capabilities. Thank you DX Engineering!”

The H40WA operators relied on the following DX Engineering coaxial cables, connectors, balun, and tool kit:

• RG-8X 50-ohm Coaxial Cable
• Coaxial Prep Tools for Crimp Connectors
• Ultra-Grip 2 Crimp Connector Tool Kit
• Next Generation Crimp/Solder 8X PL-259 Connectors
• Next Generation Crimp/Solder 8U PL-259 Connectors 
• DX Engineering Maxi-Core^® 20 1:1 Balun and Mount Kits 

Youth Contest DXpedition, KP2, St. Thomas

As part of the Youth Contest DXpedition from February 27 to March 4, KC1KUG, W3MLJ, and WO5T operated in the multi-single low-power category of the ARRL DX SSB Contest on CW, SSB, and FT8 as NP2R from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Like many of these DXpeditions, the operators relied on exceptional-quality DX Engineering coaxial cable. The team employed DX Engineering 400MAX PL-259 Low-Loss 50-ohm Coax Assemblies in 50-, 75-, and 200-foot lengths.

The team wrote on its QRZ page, “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to DX Engineering for their generous sponsorship, supporting the youth-driven DXpedition.”

Watch Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, interview the three members of the DXpedition. Also, see photos below.

Clipperton Island TX5S

We’ve already done a wrap-up of Clipperton Island TX5S (113,000-plus QSOs!), but since then OnAllBands has received some knockout photos from the DXpedition we’d like to share, including the first one below showing a Comtek 40M vertical antenna, provided by DX Engineering, set against a starry sky. Enjoy!

The post DXpedition Wrap-Up: Guyana 8R7X; Temotu Province, H40WA; KP2, Youth Contest DXpedition, St. Thomas appeared first on OnAllBands.

Bhutan QRV in April

Our second QSL card post for April highlights an opportunity to add the Kingdom of Bhutan—the 67^th Most Wanted DXCC Entity—to your list of contacted countries. The A52 DXpedition by SP9FIH (as A52P) and SP6CIK (as A52CI) is scheduled to be active April 18 to May 8 on 40-6M SSB, CW, and digital. The A52 team, who will be operating from the Dochula Eco Retreat, asks that DX chasers follow these requests:

• Do not make duplicate contacts.
• Please listen before you call. Do not ask for our call signs.
• When calling, give your full call sign, not two or three letters.

The team notes on their website that because Bhutan’s terrain is marked by deep valleys and steep mountain ranges, “it is extremely difficult to find good QTH” there. Per the team, their location—about 10,000 feet above sea level—seems to offer a good area for short path propagation to the U.S., Europe, and Japan, though long path is not recommended. Get up-to-date information from the A52 website.

About Bhutan

Bhutan is a landlocked South Asian country in the Eastern Himalayas between China in the north and India in the south. At 14,824 square miles in area, Bhutan is slightly larger than Maryland. Its population of around 777,000 ranks it in the bottom quarter of countries in terms of density.

The Bhutanese Himalayas feature mountains that reach 23,000 feet above sea level. Bhutan’s highest peak, Gangkhar Puensum, is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world at 24,836 feet. It ranks as the world’s 40^th tallest mountain (Mount Everest is first at 29,032 feet). In 1994, out of respect for local spiritual beliefs, the climbing of Bhutanese peaks higher than 20,000 feet was forbidden. In 2003, mountaineering in Bhutan was outlawed completely. Prior to the ban in the 1980s, there were four unsuccessful attempts to reach the summit of Gangkhar Puensum. The name of the mountain means “White Peak of the Three Spiritual Brothers” in the Dzongkha language.

QSL Cards

The active hams at DX Engineering have had great success contacting Bhutan over the years (a good reason to contact them for help with your gear if you’d like to do the same). Here are a few of the QSL cards from their collections.

Scotty, KG9Z, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received this card from A52AB, who was operating in October 2011 from Paro, Bhutan. Among other equipment, A52AB employed a microHAM CW keyer. microHAM products are available now at DXEngineering.com.

Paro is home to Bhutan’s only international airport as well as many sacred sites and historical buildings, including the Taktsang Palphug Monastery shown on the front of the QSL card. Also known as the Tiger’s Nest, the monastery, finished in 1692, is a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist site built into a precarious rocky cliffside above the Paro valley.

Mark, W8BBQ, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, earned this very cool QSL card from A5A in May/June 2012 (17M SSB, CW; 15M SSB, CW; 12M SSB). The card’s design is based on Bhutan’s flag, which features a  Chinese dragon set against yellow and orange triangles. The 14-day, five-operator A5A Bhutan DXpedition team logged 38,800 QSOs.

Wayne, K8FF, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, worked the A52A DXpedition in May 2000. The 10-day, 15-operator A52A activation netted more than 82,000 CW, SSB, and digital QSOs.

George, K3GP, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, contacted the A52PRO DXpedition in March 2004. A52PRO operator Jim Wise, W4PRO (SK), who passed away on December 31, 2014, was a highly respected ham who was well-known for his one-man DXpeditions and CW skills. A member of the DXCC Honor Roll and ARRL Life Member, he served as the assistant director of the ARRL Roanoke Division.

Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, received this card from A52UD (Charles Harpole, K4VUD). Along with being an avid DXer, K4VUD made notable contributions as an educator, filmmaker, and scholar of cinema and mass communications. Read much more about K4VUD on his Wikipedia page.

Dave, N8NB, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, received this card from A52VM.

Dave, K8DV, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, reached A52PP from Pora in October 2011 on 20M RTTY. The Rinpung Dzong (Buddhist monastery) on the front of the card includes 14 shrines and temples and is the site of the annual festival of Tshechu held in March or April. For several days, the festival features monks telling religious stories by performing traditional mask dances.

Want to upgrade your DXing capabilities? Find everything you need at DX Engineering, including transceivers, amplifiers, antennas, headsets, and more.

Editor’s Note: Every month, DX Engineering features QSL cards from our team members’ personal collections. To highlight upcoming DXpeditions, we’ll be displaying a few of our favorite cards along with details about what it took to make these contacts. We’re excited to share some of the special cards pulled from the thousands we’ve received over the years. We look forward to seeing your cards as well!

The post It’s All in the Cards!QSL Cards from Bhutan appeared first on OnAllBands.

April 8 is a huge day for hams who will be participating in the Solar Eclipse QSO Party, an event sponsored by HamSCI (Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation). It’s a great opportunity to have a fun time on the air while playing a serious role in gathering data for important ionospheric research. Don’t miss it—the next total solar eclipse won’t be visible in North America until 2044.

For baseball fans in Northeast Ohio (many of them hams, we suspect), April 8 also marks the home opener for the Cleveland Guardians, who will battle the Chicago White Sox in a game that was moved to 5:10 p.m. to accommodate the total solar eclipse. The eclipse will be visible in totality above DX Engineering headquarters near Akron, Ohio—40 miles south of the ballgame—from 3:13 p.m. to 3:17 p.m.

This rare collision of baseball and ham radio got us at OnAllBands thinking about some of the similarities between the two pursuits, as well as baseball’s greatest contribution to amateur radio—Oakland A’s all-star leftfielder Joe Rudi, NK7U, who brought the same passion to radiosport as he did to making shoestring catches for Charlie Finley’s kelly-green-and-gold-clad championship squads of the early 1970s.

Check out this video of Tim Duffy, K3LR, DX Engineering CEO, interviewing NK7U at DX Engineering about his days taking his radio gear on the road with the A’s and his post-baseball amateur radio activities.

Tom, KB8UUZ, DX Engineering technical writer, has had great success contacting NK7U over the years.

“Joe ran a contest station from his QTH in Oregon as well as just getting on the air,” Tom said. “I was lucky to contact him 28 times between 1997 and 2016. I worked his station on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters.”

For those of you who are familiar with George Carlin’s hilarious monolog on the differences between baseball and football, here’s our take on the differences/similarities between baseball and ham radio:

• In baseball, you have RBIs; in amateur radio you have RFI
• In baseball, you scale the Green Monster; in amateur radio, you scale monster towers
• In baseball, you run the bases; in amateur radio, you run frequencies
• In baseball, you relay a signal; in amateur radio, you relay a signal (how about that!)
• In baseball, you reach home safely on a grounder; in amateur radio, you safely ground your home station
• In baseball, you have triples: in amateur radio, you have triplexers
• In baseball, you have rotator cuff injuries; in amateur radio, you have rotators and rotator controllers
• In baseball, there’s centerfield; in amateur radio, there’s center-fed
• In baseball, you may be batting third in the order; in amateur radio, you may be battling third order harmonics
• In baseball, you make double plays; at DX Engineering, we make double-shielded coaxial assemblies
• In baseball, you may be a fan of your hometown Brewers; in amateur radio, you may be a fan of homebrewing

Any more parallels between baseball and ham radio? We’d love to hear them. Now play ball…or get on the air!

The post Baseball and Ham Radio Collide on April 8, 2024 appeared first on OnAllBands.